Ultimate Crisis, Ultimate Warrior
by Trooper1023
Summary: A wish by Genma to turn Ranma into the perfect warrior requires several lifetimes to run its course... will Ranma make it back in time to use the power he gains?
1. A Battle Lost and a Monkey Paw Wish

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts in this story are owned and copyrighted   
by their respective creators. They DO NOT belong to me. I'm just barrowing them.  
  
Ultimate Crisis, Ultimate Warrior  
A Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon crossover (primary)  
- Multiple Anime crossover (secondary)  
  
Written by Trooper1023  
  
Based on original story idea, "The Super Ranma", by Piccolo181  
View at: http://www.geocities.com/nighthawktm/idea.htm  
  
=text= is transmissions (long-distance communicators)  
[text] is sounds/actions  
*text* is emphasized words  
~text~ is thoughts  
  
Timeline: This story begins a few months after both the Ranma 1/2 and Sailor   
Moon mangas end.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Part I: When in Need of a Warrior  
Chapter 1: A Battle Lost and a Monkey Paw Wish  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"AIYA! AIREN HURT!"  
"KILL THAT THING RAN-CHAN!"  
"GET OUT OF THERE! YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING MORE!"  
"LOOK OUT!!!"  
  
Ranma twisted in mid-air at the last instant, grateful for Ryoga's warning.   
Ignoring the shouts from Shampoo, Ukyou, and the Sailor Senshi, he dodged   
another swipe from the giant youma and back flipped for some much-needed   
space. Gathering all the ki he could, Ranma threw one last "MOKO TAKABISHA!"   
at the beast's face. Ryoga, injured but not out of the fight, followed suit   
with a "SHI SHI HOUKODAN!" also aiming for the head. Just as the two ki-blasts   
hit, "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" "BURNING MANDELA!" "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"   
three more attacks slammed into the youma's chest. The massive explosion   
overrode its scream of pain and it fell through the wall behind it.  
  
Falling to his knees in exhaustion, Ranma looked past the collapsed wall. ~No   
movement. Good, looks like it's finally over...~ He staggered back to his feet   
and...  
  
[GLOMP]  
"You jackass! Don't go scaring me like that ever again!" Ukyou had tears in her   
eyes as she latched on to Ranma.   
[GLOMP]  
"Shampoo agree with Spatula Girl! Airen give Shampoo big scare!" Shampoo was in   
about the same state and hugged Ranma tightly.  
  
"OOF! Hey, leggo! I need to breathe!" Ranma grunted. Both girls blushed and   
let go. Ryoga scowled; as usual, Ranma got all the girls' attention.  
  
Around them, other members of the Nerima Wrecking Crew began to collect   
themselves. Several of the Sailor Senshi came toward Ranma. In the lead,   
Sailor Moon spoke. "Again, we want to thank you for your help. We don't   
usually accept help from non-Senshi, but you," she indicated the Wrecking Crew   
in general, "were a *BIG* help." Looking at the limping Ryoga specifically,   
Moon asked, "Are you sure you won't let Saturn take a look at that leg?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head, grinning and wincing at the same time. "Don't worry   
about me. The poor girl looks like she could sleep for a week. My leg will   
heal fast enough on its own. Besides, this pigtailed hotshot has done worse to   
me before," Ryoga remarked as he swatted said 'pigtailed hotshot' across the   
back of the head.  
  
Sailor Moon replied, "That's good to hear."  
  
Ranma on the other hand snarled as he almost lost his balance. "It won't heal   
at *all* if you keep swatting me pig-boy!" Akane, approaching Ryouga,   
sweatdropped as the bickering continued.  
  
Sailor Moon went on anyway, "Well gang, it's time to clear out. I sincerely   
hope that--" A scream of warning and a blood-curdling roar cut her off. Ranma   
could hear the youma they thought they'd killed pounding across the pavement   
straight at their position. The Senshi scattered, but their magic-based powers   
included fast recovery that the Nerimaian martial artists didn't have. They were   
caught flat-footed and Ryoga took the first hit, going down hard. Ranma shoved   
Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo out of the away with what little strength he had left   
just before a huge, bony fist turned his day to night.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma cracked an eye open. It was obviously the dead of night, and he was   
lying on a futon in his room. His entire body, especially his back and head,   
ached to a degree he didn't think possible. With a groan he pulled himself   
upright.  
  
"Can you travel, boy?" a low voice asked.  
  
Whirling to face his father, Ranma screamed, "TRAVEL!?! NOW?! Pops--"  
  
Genma clapped his hand over his son's mouth and whispered frantically, "Quiet   
boy! I won't have you waking up the entire house! We have to get out of Nerima   
before sunrise." Genma removed his hand when he was sure that Ranma wouldn't   
yell again.  
  
"NANI?!? But Pops!"  
  
Genma winced at the volume of his son's voice. "We won't be gone more than two   
weeks, so calm down."  
  
Ranma almost facefaulted. "Calm DOWN?! In two weeks... Kami-sama, we could   
lose *everyone* in two weeks!"  
  
Genma looked mournful. "I know son. We should have left sooner."  
  
"Pops..."  
  
"'Pops' nothing! Grab you pack and lets move. The sooner we leave the sooner   
we get back." That said, Genma leapt from the open window, his own travel bag   
on his back. Ranma grabbed what he could and followed his father into the   
night, hoping to all the gods there ever were that he wasn't making a huge   
mistake.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The next morning...  
  
"DAD!! Where's Ranma and Genma?! They aren't outside *or* in their room!"   
Akane's panicked scream ripped through the house, startling Nabiki awake. With   
a sinking feeling, the middle Tendo daughter barreled out of her room, still   
in her nightclothes, and down to the main room.  
  
Akane was truly terrified now. Ranma, her friend and more importantly the   
most powerful martial artist in Tokyo and possibly Japan or even the whole   
world, had gone missing with his father! And Akane's own father was *calm*!   
~He hasn't been like this since Mom was alive...~ "Dad?" she asked nervously.  
  
"Genma told me that he and Ranma will be gone for the next one to two weeks,"   
Soun responded.  
  
[THUD] [THUD] Akane and Nabiki picked themselves up from twin facefaults and   
screamed simultaneously, "NANI?!? THEY *RAN*!?!"  
  
"No," Soun answered calmly. "Daughters, you must not tell anyone the true   
reason they left, and I mean *anyone*! During our training, Genma discovered   
something that he told me about much later. While away from the Master, he   
found a genuine wish-granting monkey paw."  
  
Again the sound of two bodies hitting the floor. "NO WAY!! You can't expect us   
to believe that?!" cried Nabiki as she picked herself up again.  
  
Kasumi barely managed to whisper "Oh my!"  
  
Soun began talking again. "Yes, I do expect you to believe it, because you   
have already seen the Wish-Bringer sword, a comparatively low-level item.   
Genma is taking his son to the place he hid the monkey paw to have a wish   
granted. The wish will help us beat back these attacks that are terrorizing   
the city and discover who is behind them. Genma did not say what the wish was,   
but both he and I have had a long-standing oath about wish-granting items, so   
I know he will not waste it."  
  
Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi sat in stunned silence. None of them had ever   
imagined that *Genma* of all people would accept an agreement like that.  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
Kami-sama chuckled, his eye on the exchange in the Tendo home. Those girls   
were right, of course. Uninfluenced, Genma would *not* have accepted that   
agreement, and he would have wasted the wish that would become the key to   
saving his world.  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
Suddenly Akane spoke. "Dad, didn't you once tell me that a true martial artist   
is always prepared, for *anything*?"  
  
Soun actually smiled. "Yes I did Akane."  
  
Akane continued, "So to be prepared for a situation like this... you keep a   
wish-granting item stored away, since wishes can do just about anything!"  
  
"I'm impressed sis," Nabiki said with a small amount of sarcasm. "That was   
some real thinking there."  
  
"Gee, thanks a lot Nabiki!" Akane growled back.  
  
Soun lowered his head for a minute, then raised it slowly. "Genma believed   
they should have left a lot sooner, but it doesn't matter now. What does   
matter is that Nerima is now without their assistance. Akane, I'm going to   
pick up your training very heavily. You have a lot of potential, but it is my   
fault that it is largely unrecognized. Kasumi, Nabiki, I don't want either of   
you going anywhere alone; always go with at least two other people, if not   
more. Tell all your friends and acquaintances to do the same. Akane, that also   
goes for you even though you are training to be an excellent martial artist.   
Remember, even Ranma can no longer take these youma down by himself, so don't   
do anything foolish. Understand?" The three girls nodded with an air of   
seriousness. "Good. Now the wait begins. May the Kami guide Ranma's path."  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
Several kilometers outside Tokyo, on a little used forest path...  
  
A certain pigtailed martial artist sneezed, interrupting his father's rant.   
"Sorry 'bout that, Pops."  
  
Genma sighed and began speaking again. "Ranma, what happened yesterday is a   
sign. You and the Sailor Senshi thought the demon had been defeated, but it   
hadn't... and all *you* could do to help was push the three girls out of the   
way. These demons are now beyond your ability to beat them one-on-one. The one   
you fought yesterday was defeated when Cologne trapped it with some Amazon   
technique and everyone still conscious hit it with every attack they had." Ranma   
ground his teeth together in frustration and his hands closed into fists. "We   
*must* level the battle field! Ryoga is now in the hospital and we will *all*   
join him, permanently too, if we can't find a very powerful warrior to handle   
these youma and daemons. They are getting stronger with every fight, and martial   
artists aren't normally equipped and trained to deal with this kind of threat.   
The only reason you and Ryoga have been as successful as you have is because you   
two are so powerful. However, these youma are quickly growing in power, and soon   
only those with enough power *AND* the training of a true warrior will be able   
to defeat them. And no, the Sailor Senshi, while quite powerful, don't have the   
proper training. In fact, I don't think they have any real training at all."  
  
"Pops, what's the big difference between a warrior and a martial artist? I   
don't see it."  
  
"Ok boy, look at it this way: a martial artist is a fighter trained for   
honorable combat against *opponents*. 'Honorable' means several things, most   
important of all is no deliberate killing. Martial artists are trained to   
defeat, but not kill, other martial artists for the purposes of superiority   
and status, either for one's self or for one's school."  
  
"A warrior is very similar to a martial artist, with one fundamental   
difference: a warrior is a fighter trained for *all-out* combat against   
*enemies*. Warriors are trained to defeat and if necessary *kill* other   
warriors for one of two sets of purposes. Either it is for *defense* of one's   
self, one's family, or one's country, or it is for *conquest* for one's self,   
one's family, or one's country."  
  
"Ranma, I have raised and trained you to bring honor to the Saotome School of   
Anything Goes Martial Arts. And you have done that with spectacular success!"   
Ranma was stunned at his father's unashamed confirmation of his skill. Then   
Genma's face fell, and the skin on the back of Ranma's neck began to prickle.   
"Unfortunately, your training has left you unprepared to deal with these   
demons that are terrorizing Tokyo. I trained you to defeat without killing   
*human* opponents. These are hell-spawned beasts that you are fighting, and to   
win when you do *NOT* have a significant raw power advantage requires a   
different philosophy, the path of the warrior. That path is focused on landing   
crippling, lethal blows with maximum efficiency. It also recommends fighting   
with a weapon." Genma look directly into his son's eyes. "Now do you   
understand?"  
  
Ranma nodded, deep in thought. "Yea Pops, I get it." Then his face firmed and   
his voice went cold. "Now tell me what's so important that we gotta *abandon*   
Nerima, just like that!" he growled menacingly.  
  
"Son," Genma said in a flat voice. "We left Nerima to retrieve an artifact   
that I've hidden. If I use it right, you will gain all the warrior training   
and power you need to defend your family, friends, and home."  
  
Ranma stopped dead in his tracks, staring at his father in total shock. Genma   
grabbed his arm and started pulling him along. Ranma, stumbling before he   
regained his balance, muttered "Me? But Pops... me?"  
  
"Yes son. I'm too far past my prime to make the best use of this opportunity.   
You however... when this is done, you will be the ultimate warrior, for the   
ultimate crisis." Genma seemed to draw himself up. "Now pick up the pace boy!   
It's a five-day trip to get there. I don't know how long the wish will take to   
complete it's effect, so the sooner we get to it the sooner it will be done."  
  
"Whoa, wait one fuckin' second! A *wish*? A *WISH*?! And you haven't used it   
to feed your fat gut all ready!? I don't believe it!"  
  
[WHAM] [THUMP] "Get up boy." Ranma shot to his feet and was about to hit Genma   
back when the older man spoke again. "You really *should* be more respectful   
to your father. Soun and I made an agreement when we were younger, to only use   
a high-level wish-granting item like the one I found after *VERY* careful   
thought to the wish itself, and only when in the most dire circumstances."  
  
Ranma's jaw dropped open. *This is just too much. Pops actually *not* taking   
the quick route when it's right there in front of him!* He laughed humorlessly   
and said, "It really is the end the world as we know it."  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
This time Kami-sama broke into full-blown laughter.  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
"Ranma, you *will* respect me more than you do. There are a lot of things I've   
done that I'm not proud of..."  
  
"No *REALLY*!?! I can list about five hundred of 'em!"  
  
Genma continued, "...But this I am doing for *far* more than just myself."  
  
"So you're saying I should be grateful that you're giving me this gift--"  
  
"No Ranma. The power you will gain from this wish is a gift, yes. However, the   
responsibilities of a warrior are *not* a gift, but a burden; my son, you must   
understand that. Once trained in the way of the warrior, you will *NEVER* be   
the same again. You will have a completely different outlook on life, simply   
because you will have the power to take that life away. This is *your* choice;   
I will not force it on you. Of course, you do know that there is no one else   
that I would possibly trust enough to try something like this."  
  
Ranma was silent for the following hour, lost in thought. Finally, he said,   
"Father? I accept."  
  
"I knew you would make the right choice, my son."  
  
"Now Pops, what's the actual wish?"  
  
"Well I've been thinking of something along the lines of..."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The first week...  
  
The days passed at an agonizingly slow rate. Akane sat in class next to her   
new friend Makoto Kino. The tall brunette and four of her friends were now   
going to Furinkan High, as were many other 'refugees' from Juuban. After   
accidentally discovering her friend's secret identity as Sailor Jupiter during   
a youma attack, Akane convinced her father to start giving martial arts   
lessons to Makoto and her friends -also Sailor Senshi- in secret. Her own   
training was progressing well, but not nearly fast enough to change anything.  
  
A lot of Nerima residents had grown cynical at Ranma's departure. Even though   
Akane and Nabiki did everything they could to convince people that Ranma and   
Genma had left only to find assistance in fighting the youma, many people,   
especially Ranma's rivals, believed that he was a coward, only now showing his   
true colors. Eventually the two sisters simply stopped trying, content to wait   
for Ranma's return.  
  
Thinking back to the previous month, Akane recalled the day the crisis began.   
She had been leading Ranma-chan around a huge new mall that had opened in   
Juuban the previous week. While the redhead complained, Akane was enjoying   
some shopping at brand new stores that were overflowing with the latest and   
hottest stuff. After spending several hours there Akane was finished, and   
Ranma was ready to tear her hair out from boredom. Just when she was about   
ready to stir up some trouble herself, a *big* youma erupted from the ground   
behind them. Of course, Ranma-chan immediately sprung into action. What scared   
Akane was that the youma moved fast enough to swat Ranma out of the air! By   
the time she'd dug Ranma-chan out of the rubble of the wall she'd been knocked   
through, the Sailor Senshi had arrived and were fighting the youma. Akane had   
seen enough of the Senshis' exploits on TV to know when something was wrong,   
and the fact that this one youma was holding its own against *all* the Inner   
Senshi definitely classified as 'wrong'! Even when Ranma got her act together   
the youma wouldn't stay down; it wasn't until Sailor Saturn arrived, with her   
Silence Glaive, that the youma was finally defeated. Afterward, Sailor   
Mercury's check of her computer's records identified the youma as super-  
charged with far more power than what they normally encountered.  
  
That attack was the first of many. As the battles, mostly nighttime, became   
more and more difficult for the Sailor Senshi, the Nerimaian martial artists,   
often Ranma or Ryoga, began to appear more and more often in Juuban to help   
the Senshi. The local papers had been flooded with articles, a few detailing   
what little was known about the mysterious and powerful teenagers that were   
assisting the Sailor Senshi, the rest just throwing questions around. Then   
attacks began to happen in Nerima, and the newspapers got an eyeful from   
Nabiki. What seemed like a terrible idea quickly became very profitable, as   
Nabiki hired herself out to several papers as a freelancing reporter, stating   
that: "Your average reporter wouldn't live ten seconds here in Nerima, so   
you'd better let me cover the fights." Nabiki's publicity stunt got the entire   
Wrecking Crew involved in fighting off the youma attacks, and the Sailor   
Senshi, while unsure at first, soon welcomed the assistance. The increase in   
firepower on the good guys' side did put a stop to the attacks' advances...   
temporarily. Then the attacks suddenly jumped in effectiveness, causing mass   
panic in Juuban. Trying to restore peace, the Japanese government called in   
the military to begin their own war against the attackers, whoever they were.  
  
The military was ineffective for a time, until one brilliant soldier, out of   
ammunition and grenades, improvised with an insulated hose and a tank of   
liquid nitrogen. The flash-frozen daemon went down quickly, and convinced the   
Japanese government that more unconventional weapons were required. The   
military units in Tokyo were quickly supplied with a number of experimental   
weapons; flame-throwers and the newly invented 'freeze-throwers', sonic   
weapons, and lasers, to name a few. Some were effective, others not so, but   
they did help to lighten the load on the "Tokyo Defenders", as the newspapers   
called the alliance of the Sailor Senshi and the Nerima Wrecking Crew.  
  
Unfortunately, the youma eventually developed resistance to most of the   
military's weaponry. Their hides became partially mirrored, diffusing or even   
deflecting laser beams. The youma and especially the daemons became immune to   
the extremes of temperature the flame- and freeze-throwers created. However,   
these weapons remained effective when used together to create a huge   
difference in temperature, as did the sonic 'cannons', which caused a massive   
amount of vibration in their target, literally shaking it apart.  
  
With their effectiveness down again, the Japanese military began evacuating   
parts of Tokyo, especially Juuban; the attacks seem to be focused around that   
district, though they were spreading steadily into others. The youma and   
daemons were still growing in strength, making the situation even more   
desperate for the Tokyo Defenders.  
  
By now, *all* of the Defenders were copying Ranma's style of mostly dodging   
and counterstriking in combat. The youma had grown too powerful for any other   
tactic, and it took a combined attack from the entire Wrecking Crew to take   
one out permanently. The Sailor Senshi were slightly better off, since their   
magic attacks did more damage to the Negaverse drones. Also in the Defenders'   
favor was that super-charging the youma for the attacks seemed to be very   
costly, as they only attacked about once every four days and with one or at   
most two youma. The more-powerful daemons were rarer, joining only every other   
attack and with only one daemon at a time. Still, this number of attacks was far   
higher than what the Senshi were used to dealing with.  
  
The streets were no longer even remotely safe at night. The 'Dead Zone', the   
part of Tokyo where no sane human went for fear of disappearing, continued to   
grow.  
  
Akane sighed, feeling depressed. Attacks continued to come about twice a week,   
and the youma were even harder to put down without Ranma there. Fortunately,   
Ryoga was managing to stick around and not get lost. With his help, Akane was   
getting better at ki manipulation, as was Ukyou. Somehow, she and the chef had   
become close friends, a *lot* closer than they'd ever been before. And that was   
in spite of the fact that Ukyou was a better fighter too. In a few more days,   
Ukyou would be ready for Cologne to teach her the Chestnut Fist. Speaking of the   
Amazon Matriarch, Cologne was beginning to join the fights now, and Happosai   
too.  
  
Word of the crisis in Tokyo was spreading. All ready, several people Ranma had   
encountered in his travels and fights had come to the Japanese capital to   
assist in repelling the demon attacks. Akane thought back to the most resent   
fight. The youma, cut up and tangled in chains but with a death grip on   
Mousse, was about to kill the near-sighted Amazon when a cry of "Kijin Raishu   
Dan!" cut the arm off the youma and released Mousse. At first Akane thought it   
was Genma returning with Ranma, but that hope was quickly dashed as Ryu Kumon   
leapt down from the roof he was on. Still, his arrival was a good thing. Ryu   
said that even though he had sealed the Yamasen-ken as was the agreement, he   
was pretty sure that the current situation would allow him to unseal those   
powerful techniques. Thus, another fighter joined the ranks of the Tokyo   
Defenders.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The night of the seventh day...  
  
"...I wish that my son Ranma is trained to be the best warrior and man in   
existence. A warrior that is unbeatable, wise and just. The best man, proud,   
honorable, gentle at peace, yet fierce to those who DARE to be his enemies."  
  
Ranma let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Genma had   
gotten the wish perfectly, right down to the letter. Ranma was certain that   
the parameters of the wish would allow him to live and love even with all the   
power and training he was about to receive. *Now to see if this 'monkey paw'   
does its job...*  
  
*GRANTED* said a voice in Genma's mind. "Granted..." he repeated. A spark of   
light appeared in the air, causing Ranma to look up--  
  
--only to fall backwards stiffly. Genma ran over to his son, demanding to know   
if something was wrong, but the pigtailed martial artist couldn't answer. His   
body was screaming in pain as he felt his very soul being separated into   
one... two... three... four... five pieces... then everything went dark.  
  
From Genma's viewpoint, the single spark of light split into five as a ball of   
white rose from Ranma's chest. The sparks began to circle the ball, and the   
pure whiteness began to separate into different colors: red, gold, green,   
blue, and black. Streamers of each color leapt from the ball to the sparks   
around it, and the ball began to shrink. Soon, five sparks of different colors   
floated above Ranma's comatose body. Then they faded from view, leaving Genma   
to pray that all was well.  
  
To be continued...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
There will be very little reference to the 'Sailor Moon' manga or anime; I   
know the characters pretty well, but I know next to nothing about the original   
storylines.  
  
Quoted directly from Piccolo181's posted idea: "Genma's wish is that Ranma   
is trained to be the best warrior and man in existence. A warrior that is   
unbeatable, wise and just. The best man, proud, honorable, gentle at peace,   
yet fierce to those who DARE to be his enemies. This could be granted from a   
number of sources: Marller, Goddess Helpline, etc. Though I'd prefer a monkey   
paw wish, because it would do more to explain the reasons for the next plot   
device. (power limitations and such) You see Genma is NONE of these things.   
And monkey paws (or similar magical objects, djin & such like) work by   
changing the wielder. Well, to change GENMA enough to inspire THAT kind of   
son.... It would probably take a team-up of the divine AND infernal hosts, and   
even then it would be iffy. So it affects Ranma himself. It splits up Ranma's   
soul into several pieces (leaving the original basically a shell) and sends   
them out to different realities alters them a bit so Ranma can reborn with   
different and BETTER fathers/sensei's until they reach a point that if they all   
remerged into one being the wish would be fulfilled." In effect, the monkey   
paw *is* changing Ranma's 'father' by having him raised under others.  
  
  
Update: 8/16/01  
  
Just a few small changes. Special thanks to Dragonlord for an idea about the   
background behind the story. I'll unveil it as the chapters progress.  
  
Update: 8/31/01  
  
One tiny change: the wish is granted seven days after Ranma and Genma left,   
not five.  
  
Update: 11/8/01  
  
Swapped Ukyou for Shampoo in the opening fight scene. The reason is in the   
other update, for Part 1-C.  
  
Update: 12/8/01  
  
Swapped Shampoo for Akane in the opening fight scene. Brought Akane into   
the scene a little bit later.  
  
Update: 1/24/02  
  
Changed number of attacks per week, slightly altered post-manga histories.  
  
  
C&C to: bjhaberman@prodigy.net  
website: http://Trooper1023.tripod.com/ 


	2. The Birth of The Five

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts in this story are owned and copyrighted   
by their respective creators. They DO NOT belong to me. I'm just barrowing them.  
  
"Ultimate Crisis, Ultimate Warrior"  
A Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon x-over (primary)  
- Multiple Anime x-over (secondary)  
  
Written by Trooper1023  
  
Based on original story idea, "The Super Ranma", by Piccolo181  
View at: http://www.geocities.com/nighthawktm/idea.htm  
  
=text= is transmissions (long-distance communicators)  
[text] is sounds/actions  
*text* is emphasized words  
~text~ is thoughts  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Part I: When in Need of a Warrior  
Chapter 2: The Birth of The Five  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Deep in the void, between the strands of time and space, a Being of pure   
blackness lurked. It had been sealed away in a dimension of pure energy for   
almost two millennia. The Being drew its power from the Void itself, and since   
it had been trapped in a place where there was no way to reach the Void, it had   
been weakening as time passed. Just when the Being had thought that it would   
fade away to nothingness, not be able to fulfill its purpose, an eruption of   
power from a lone dimension caught its attention.  
  
The Being knew this was the dimension that it had originally formed in and had   
been thrown from. Three different kinds of power were now radiating from that   
dimension, one of which the Being recognized as the same power that had been   
used against it. The power of the Crystal.  
  
The Being had formed from the Void of space, and had instinctively desired to   
destroy all things, leaving only the Void. Two millennia ago, the Being had   
encountered a solar system rich with power and life. Attacking, it sought to   
destroy the life, but the life fought back, trapping it and sealing it in the   
prison of energy that had held the being for so long.  
  
The imprisonment had, while weakening the Being and trapping it, shown it that   
other dimensions made of matter and energy existed, and that the Void existed   
mostly between them - and rarely within them. The Being had also learned of   
Time, and how the Void could also be found between its strands.  
  
The Being found it ironic that the same power that had trapped it had   
unknowingly *undone* what it had done two millennia ago. As for the other two   
powers...  
  
One power was a network of lines spanning that dimension. Once free, the Being   
had used those lines as a guide to find its way back. It had also used them to   
find the places where the Void could be found, allowing the being to strengthen   
again.  
  
The other power emanated from a single point, one single life. The Being   
shuddered at the potential that one life had within itself. While the Being was   
of the Void, this life was its antithesis. Were that life's potential to   
manipulate energy developed to its entirety, the Being would face a threat   
greater than what it had been *defeated* by before!  
  
On the other hand, the Being also realized that it was *far* more powerful now   
then it was then. Drawing on the Void between *all* dimensions yielded far more   
then drawing on the Void within one of them. Using that power, the Being peered   
through the walls of its domain. It wanted to see how the ones of darkness it   
had augmented were fairing against their personal enemy, the power of the   
Crystal, and the life that posed the Being so much threat. Fortunately, the   
Being had managed to keep the third power from interfering, so it had only to   
deal with these two...  
  
...One of which wasn't even there! The Being found no trace of its nemesis...   
no, there *was* a trace, make that five traces. Following the miniscule lines   
into the past, four of which led into other dimensions, the Being saw...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
On a futuristic Earth...  
  
Dende opened his eyes as Bulma and Vegeta's third child entered the world.   
This most recent vision was a confusing one. In it, the newborn, named Ranma by   
an adamant Bulma, was standing before him as a teenager. An aura of gold   
surrounded him, until all that could be seen was an outline. Suddenly the boy's   
outline was part of a circle of nearly identical outlines; besides gold, there   
were black, green, and blue outlines, and a red outline that seemed to be a   
female version of the rest. Then the outlines merged, leaving behind a single   
outline of the boy in pure white that rapidly faded from sight.  
  
The Kami Guardian of the Earth was puzzled by the vision. It lacked any   
feeling of wrongness... No, the vision seemed to be showing *destiny*! Dende   
decided not to tell anyone of his vision, allowing them to deal with it when   
the time came.  
  
Ranma was a very peculiar child right from the start. His eyes were the   
most distinctive, a deep blue-gray unlike his mother's ice blue or his   
father's coal black. His hair was black like his father's but soft like his   
mother's. Vegeta was pleased to note the tail, covered in black fur, on his   
second son and hoped that the boy's spirit would be that of a Saiyajin as   
well. The boy's face seemed to be the oddest thing about him; Vegeta swore   
that he could see only a few features of his own in his son, and even fewer of   
the boy's mother.  
  
Time passed and the newest member of the "Z-Family" grew...  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
The day Ranma turned five...  
  
"Are you sure Ranma?"  
  
"MOM!! I told you already, I grew my hair out because I wanted to put it in a   
pigtail!"  
  
"A braid? You realize boy, that a braid will give your enemy something to grab   
and pull on. A saiyajin should not give himself such an obvious weakness."  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes and sighed as his mother finished the braid. ~What's such   
a big deal about braiding my hair, anyway? It's not *that* unusual, is it?~   
"Come on, it'll be an extra challenge for me. I'll have ta be *real* fast so   
somebody doesn't grab my braid... right Pops?"  
  
Vegeta snarled angrily, "How many time do I have to tell you not to call me   
'Pops'?!"  
  
[Biiiiii] Ranma stuck his tongue out in response and prepared to run away,   
knowing that his father would explode. To his surprise, the former Saiyajin   
Prince only crossed his arms and smirked. ~I got a bad feeling about this...~   
thought Ranma.  
  
"I wouldn't be in such high spirits boy. Your training begins this afternoon."  
  
~I was right.~  
  
Six-year-old Bra came bounding down the stairs. "Finally! It's little bro's turn   
to get the boot for the next four months!" She turned and hollered back up to   
the second floor of the Capsule complex that served as the Brief's home. "Hey   
Trunks, Daddy's starting Ranma's training today!"  
  
"Oh really," said a voice from the front door.  
  
"Oh, hi Gohan! How's Videl and the brat?" asked Bra, stressing the word 'brat'.  
  
Son Gohan smiled. "They're both fine, though Pan will strangle you if she finds   
out you called her that. Where's Trunks, I got something for him."  
  
"TRUNKS!! THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN HERE YOU WANT, AND I'M ABOUT TO TAKE IT FOR   
THAT REMOTE YOU STOLE!" Everyone winced at the volume of Bra's yell.  
  
"Bra! What did I tell you about yelling in the house?" came Bulma's voice from   
the kitchen.  
  
"Um, not to."  
  
"THEN WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!?" Everyone winced again, though Bra had the   
decency to look sheepish. Finally Trunks came down from his room.  
  
"Jeez, you people are gonna bring the house down if you keep hollering like   
that." The fourteen-year-old purple haired half-saiyajin sighed, then noticed   
Gohan. "You've got the chip?" Gohan simply grinned. "Oh boy will this be fun.   
Lets get started." They headed for Bulma's research labs. Over his shoulder   
Trunks asked, "And what was that about Ranma's training?"  
  
"It starts today," said Vegeta simply.  
  
Trunks smirked and turned to Ranma. "Heh, good luck shorty. You're gonna need it   
if you wanna do as well as I did. Not that you will."  
  
"Why, you!" Ranma leapt at his big brother in a flying tackle. They wrestled   
around a bit, smirking at the other's effort, before Bulma recognized the   
commotion for what it was and scolded them both.  
  
Vegeta watched silently. ~My first and second children only showed basic   
interest in the fighting arts. I pray to the sun itself that my third will be   
different, a true heir.~  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Vegeta's prayer was answered.  
  
Beginning with several months of survival training, something that he had seen   
Piccolo do to his students with great effect, Vegeta was surprised yet pleased   
to see Ranma take to the wilderness as if he'd been living there his whole life.   
Somehow the boy all ready had the survival instincts he needed. Ranma discovered   
his ki and began to use it in less time then anyone could have expected. His   
older brother Trunks had taken nearly four months to learn on his own what had   
taken Ranma only one!  
  
Then Vegeta began the combat training and got another surprise. Ranma progressed   
in his training at an astounding rate. Everything Ranma was taught was   
understood immediately and often mastered before the day was over. He seemed to   
know how to fight instinctively. Ranma was already incredibly agile, and only   
got faster and faster as time progress. Vegeta finally understood why Ranma had   
always been so good at games of evasion, like tag. The Art was in Ranma's very   
blood.  
  
Vegeta intended to keep his son's progress under wraps, but Bra got suspicious   
of the amount of time Vegeta spent with his third child and eventually decided   
to follow her father to the training grounds he was using to teach Ranma. She   
was instantly jealous of how fast Ranma learned, and from her the word spread.   
Trunks never thought he'd see the day when he would have to eat his own words,   
but that day came. Goku seemed to take it the best: "He's learning *that* fast?   
Sugoi! It'll be great to have someone new to spar with!"  
  
Several years passed and Ranma turned eight. The boy's fighting ability was   
increasing at an incredible rate; all ready Ranma was better than his sister.   
  
Apparently, Vegeta's second son *did* have the soul of a true Saiyajin.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
On a post-apocalyptic Earth...  
  
Kenshiro, the Fist of the North Star and master of the Hokuto Shin Ken, caught   
up with the band of raiders as they were slaughtering the people of one of the  
borderland towns. He was on the nearly impossible quest of finding a real heir   
to the school of the Great Bear Fist after having a very strange dream several   
months ago. Something about Fate and Destiny, the Chosen One, and training an   
heir...  
  
It was the previous day that he was told of a band of mutant raiders moving   
against another outlying town. He raced out to the borderlands, barely making   
it in time.   
  
After dispatching a number of raiders in rapid succession, Kenshiro saw a   
young boy with his black hair in a pigtail standing between one of the last   
raiders and a little blond girl. The boy, not more than seven, was tiny   
compared to the mutant raider, yet he showed no fear as he stood his ground.   
What happened next struck a cord in Kenshiro that hadn't been touched in a   
long time...  
  
The raider took one more step forward and the boy narrowed his eyes. A moment   
later he was in motion. Dashing forward, he twisted around a spear thrust from   
the raider, landed on the spear's shaft, ran up it onto the raider's arm, and   
drove a small dagger he got from somewhere into the raider's throat. All in a   
few short seconds. Leaving the bloodied dagger where it was, the boy kicked off   
the dead body and landed easily.  
  
Kenshiro knew the signs of the killer instinct very well, but never had he   
seen them in one so young. Another raider attacked the boy, not even giving   
second thought to what the boy had just done. The boy simply vaulted over the   
arc of the raider's sword and landed on the huge man's shoulders. From up there   
he threw a volley of punches down onto the raider's skull, crushing his neck   
down into his chest. Again he leapt from the dead body and back to the girl he   
was protecting. ~That boy...~ Kenshiro thought, ~...He must be the one, the   
heir I've been searching for...~  
  
The scream of the little girl brought Kenshiro's head up. A third raider had   
seen the boy kill two others and was on guard. Even as the boy, seeming to sense   
the new threat, turned to face the raider, he was slammed across the back of the   
head and knocked out. The girl screamed again when she saw what happened to her   
protector. Raising his club for the kill, the raider...  
  
...Died in a shower of blood as Kenshiro tapped a few tsubos. The Fist of the   
North Star paid no more attention to the bits of corpse that remained as he   
checked the boy. ~...No one as young as this would have the instinct for any   
other reason!~  
  
After clearing the town of any remaining raiders and making sure all the   
wounded were seen too, Kenshiro began asking questions about the black-haired   
boy. According to the townsfolk, the boy's name was Ranma. He had wandered in   
from the wastes on foot, badly dehydrated but still conscious. He recovered in   
an astoundingly short amount of time and was up and about within days. He   
quickly developed a reputation as "the kid who can do anything". Ranma had   
been seen jumping up into trees or onto other tall object to find things   
that people needed. While this in itself wasn't unusual, none of the townspeople   
had ever heard of a seven-year-old being *that* advanced in a Martial Art. Even   
more, Ranma had been seen practicing a style that no one was familiar with. When   
asked about where he learned it, Ranma just said, "I donno, I just keep   
practicing." Kenshiro shook his head and sighed as he listened to the little   
blond as she talked, starry-eyed, about the boy that had protected her from the   
raiders at risk to himself.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranma woke up a day later, his injuries completely gone. As Kenshiro watched,   
he checked his wounds without even realizing it as he dressed. When he was   
done, Ranma turned his head to Kenshiro, who was standing just outside his   
room.  
  
~Amazing. He must have sensed my presence; I never made a movement or sound   
and yet he still knew I was there watching him.~ "Ranma, I presume?"  
  
He cocked his head to the side. "Yup, tha's me. Who's askin'?"  
  
Kenshiro held back a chuckle. ~This kid talks like a cocky teenager... I like   
him all ready.~ "My name is Kenshiro; I'm the one who killed most of the raiders   
that attacked yesterday. Let me ask you a question. What you did to those two   
raiders... how did you do it? Who taught you, if anybody?"  
  
Ranma was silent for several minutes. "Well... I donno. It's kinda like I just   
*know* how," he said finally.  
  
"Well Ranma, I have something to propose you. What you were using was--"  
  
"--Martial Arts." Ranma finished. "Yeah, I know."  
  
Kenshiro raised an eyebrow. "It seems that you know a lot about the Art. I can   
feel the focused way your ki flows through your body."  
  
"Ki is--oh yea, never mind." Ranma scratched the back of his head with one hand.   
"Whatever, I wanna hear that deal you had for me." Kenshiro grinned.  
  
(-1-check note at the end of this file--)  
  
"I want to know if you're interested in learning the style of Martial Arts I   
am master of. It is an Art devised some 2000 years ago on a little island near   
the coast of China. The first master of the style, Shuken, was taught this Art   
by God himself."  
  
Ranma stared at Kenshiro, shocked by the implications. "By God?" He asked.  
  
"That's right. With it you can destroy the body from the inside out using the   
708 hikous or tsubos. Eventually you can also heal even the most damaged of   
bodies with those same techniques, applied differently. Then there are other   
techniques of the school, as well as ways to use the body at its full   
capabilities."  
  
"What do you mean by full capabilities?" asked Ranma.  
  
"When you were fighting those riders before, I could feel you using your ki to   
boost your strength and speed. Is it right?" Ranma nodded after a moment.  
  
"By using your ki, you were boosting the strength of your body to almost   
superhuman levels. Well in this school, one of the basic teachings is to   
strengthen your body without using your ki. Generally a fighter, even if he is   
a martial artist, uses only thirty percent of his overall strength. However in   
our school we teach how to use the remaining seventy percent. This goes for   
speed, endurance, metabolism, healing factor, reflexes, and senses also. Of   
course, that's nothing more than the basics of the school."  
  
"Only the *basics*?!" Ken nodded. "Why are you telling me this?" asked Ranma   
after a few more moments.  
  
Kenshiro's gaze bore into Ranma. "In every generation the current master must   
train a pupil that will some day be the Heir and master of this school. Each   
master can only train one pupil in the full knowledge of the school because if   
he tries to train more than one in the full knowledge, the master would not be   
to be sure if both pupils are 'on the True Path of the Great Bear'. If either of   
two pupils, each with the full knowledge of the school, strays from the path   
then the world could be destroyed." He paused to let the boy have some time to   
think about this last piece of information. "I'm telling you all of this because   
I want to train you to become the next Heir."  
  
Ranma was speechless. Silence was the lord of the room for a long time. Ranma   
had expected something but this...  
  
"I-I... I donno what to say..." He said slowly.  
  
Kenshiro's expression was stern. "You must know that the training may be   
extremely dangerous and that at the end I may even erase the knowledge you   
gained if I find you abusing the power you will eventually have." He looked deep   
into the young boy's blue-gray eyes, his voice deadly, and Ranma *knew* the   
importance of his words. "I'm warning you that this training will be different   
from anything that you can imagine. I will be ruthless, even brutal. This   
knowledge has caused a lot of tragedies and the destinies of the Heirs of this   
school are all filled with blood and tears."  
  
He paused once again waiting for some reaction. Seeing nothing but seriousness   
in the seven-year-old, Kenshiro continued.  
  
"I'm giving you a choice. If you refuse I will take you to some friends that   
can help you in forming your own life." He paused. "The choice is yours. But   
remember that this knowledge is not a price or a privilege; it's a burden."  
  
Ranma stayed silent.   
  
This man was telling him that he could give him the chance to learn the   
greatest of all martial arts but the price would be in blood, tears and pain.   
But the choice was his; not something imposed. His.  
  
He looked into Kenshiro's eyes. Eyes that promised suffering but also a chance   
to find a destiny and to make a life only if he was ready to pay the price.  
  
~I could just go and do whatever I want, make my own life like Kenshiro   
said... but I feel like I *have* to do this... like I *want* to do this, but   
just can't remember. Could this training in the ultimate Martial Art... be my   
purpose? No, he said that the knowledge will be a burden--~ That train of   
thought stopped dead.  
  
Ranma had his answer. He made his choice.  
  
He stood up and followed the compulsion to bow to Kenshiro.   
  
He *knew* that he had just yielded control of his life to another, yet he also   
knew that it was for the best.  
  
"When do we start uh... sensei? And what's the name of our school?" He asked   
his new mentor.  
  
"We start as soon as your ribs have finished healing." He paused once again.   
"And the name of our style is the Hokuto Shin Ken - the North Dipper God   
Fist"  
  
(-1-end of noted section--)  
  
Kenshiro smiled to himself. ~The dream is starting to make sense now... I must   
be one of those picked to train the Chosen One...~  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
A hundred and fifty years earlier in history...  
  
In a valley somewhere north of Tokyo, in the last year of the Revolution, a   
five-year-old boy faded into existence on the rough ground of a dense forest. He   
pulled himself to his feet and took in his surroundings. The boy couldn't   
remember much about himself, just the name of the school of martial arts he was   
skilled in and a few special techniques, a few survival skills, and his given   
name: Ranma.   
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
One year later...  
  
The war was over. Kenshin Himura had sworn not to kill again. Now he was a   
simple vagabond, scared by the terrible war.  
  
Upon entering a little town north of Tokyo, Kenshin noticed that he was   
getting odd looks from an ever-increasing number of people. Listening closely,   
he could bits and pieces of whispered comments.  
  
"--he match the description people have given--"  
"--that? Who are you...!? It's him! It has to be!"  
"I believe that man with the sword is the one everyone has been talking about,   
the forest-dweller with red hair..."  
  
Kenshin stopped as he noticed that he was the center of attention. ~Obviously   
I resemble someone that these people consider both helpful and a nuisance.   
Maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea...~ He spun and--  
  
"Stop!" Huffing, an officer came running toward Kenshin. "You can't go walking   
around during the Meji era with that sword! I'm going to have to--"  
  
"Orooo..." And Kenshin started running. And the officer started yelling more and   
running after Kenshin. And the townsfolk started running too, after the police   
officer! He must be the forest-dweller, they thought collectively.  
  
Running harder, Kenshin headed for the nearby forest. None of the townspeople   
followed. However, the chase had attracted the notice of the local group of   
bandits. Thinking the one who had been giving them so much trouble lately had   
been spotted, a few bandits entered the forest in search of revenge.  
  
Of course, what are bandits to a former hitokiri, the Battosai at that? Kenshin   
dispatched his attackers with little difficulty.   
  
That night, Kenshin sat by a small campfire, brooding on his past. He turned   
from his meal for a second... and when he turned back the food was gone!   
"Oro?" Hearing a rustling in the bushes, Kenshin spun and spotted a little   
redhead running away from the clearing. ~A thief? Well, I'm game.~ Kenshin   
thought. He gave chase to the thief, and was surprised to find he was fast,   
nearly as fast as Kenshin himself! *Could this be the red-haired forest-person   
the townsfolk were talking of?*  
  
The thief, seeing he was unable to lose his pursuit on the ground, vaulted into   
the trees and kept going. Kenshin followed, his respect for the thief slowly   
growing. Eventually Kenshin cornered the thief against the base of a cliff   
without any kind of cover nearby to use to escape. It was at that point that   
Kenshin got his first good look at the "thief". The short redhead was nothing   
more than a six-year-old boy!  
  
Ranma was in a jam. Normally he'd just blast right through whoever had cornered   
him, but something he saw in the man's eyes that made him wary of trying any   
kind of stunt like he'd pulled on campers and bandits. That and the sword at the   
man's waist. Ranma saw a hardness in his eyes unlike anything he'd ever seen   
before. He shivered slightly.  
  
"You're hungry, aren't you?"  
  
Ranma started slightly at the soft, gentle voice of the man that had cornered   
him. It was not what he had been expecting. Gathering his courage again, Ranma   
said, "Yea, I'm pretty hungry. Sorry fer stealin' yur food."  
  
Kenshin chuckled. "It's all right, I can understand why you're hungry." The   
boy looked surprised. "Follow me back to my camp. I'd be happy to share the   
share my food with you."   
  
"Hey! I don't need no charity! I can do fine on my own!" Ranma growled.   
  
The vagabond smiled genuinely. "Oh, I insist. As a simple courtesy." And led   
the boy back to his camp.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Talking over dinner, Kenshin learned that the boy's name was Ranma and that   
he had no family or real home. Ranma learned to his shock that Kenshin was a   
former killer with a lot of blood on his hands. At first Ranma was a little   
afraid, but then Kenshin showed Ranma his sword. "What kind 'a sword is that?"  
  
"This is a sakabatou. Instead of having the sharp edge on the outside curve   
of the blade, the sharp edge is on the inside curve. The outside curve, the   
side of the blade that leads most attacks, is blunt. This is a sword that   
cannot kill. And I have taken an oath never to kill again." Kenshin's voice   
was flat.  
  
"Oh." Ranma felt somewhat better after that. He also felt that he could trust   
the older man. It made going to sleep easier.  
  
Kenshin himself was puzzled as to his own behavior. He had never opened up to   
anyone before, not even his old master, as much as he had done so with this   
young boy he had only just met. Something about Ranma reminded Kenshin very much   
of himself when he was young.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Kenshin had a lot to think about the next morning. He found an empty clearing   
and started a long sword kata, to clear his head so he could think. He never   
noticed Ranma watching him flow through the kata with interest.  
  
Eventually the one once known as Battosai finished his kata, and made his   
decision. He turned to go find the boy and found him at the edge of the   
clearing. "Ranma? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh nothing."  
  
"Well, I wanted to ask you a question. Would you be willing to come with me   
as I wander from place to place? I'm a vagabond after all."  
  
"Seriously? Cool!" Ranma was all too happy to agree. ~If I go with him, then   
maybe I can get him to teach me that sword style. And I thought *I* was fast!   
If he teaches me then I can get even faster! Besides, it'll be nice to have   
somebody to talk to. These woods are getting kinda lonely.~  
  
Kenshin was a little confused as to why Ranma was so enthusiastic, but he   
wasn't about to complain. ~If Ranma comes with me, I'll have to leave the   
hitokiri side of me behind if I don't want him to feel that kind of   
influence. This should help me find what's left of the peaceful person inside   
me.~  
  
Suddenly Ranma was on his feet, looking around. Kenshin didn't know why   
Ranma was suddenly acting like that until his danger sense went off. ~Ranma   
sensed the danger before I did! He's no ordinary boy...~  
  
It was the bandits that Kenshin had knocked out earlier, plus a few newcomers.   
An open brawl started almost immediately. Kenshin drew his sakabatou and   
slammed it into the stomach of one bandit in a single smooth motion. Turning,   
he hopped over another bandit's cane sword and brought his own weapon down on   
the man's head. Two more bandits fell just as quickly to Kenshin, but he   
remembered more attacking. Turning to face the others, Kenshin was surprised   
again to see two other bandits on the ground, larges bruises forming all ready.   
The boy was knocking bandits out cold with nothing more than his little fists!  
  
Slipping past a clumsily swung club, Ranma threw a volley of fast punches into   
the bandit's torso before jumping up and knocking the bandit onto his back with   
a flip-kick to the chin.  
  
~This... boy... knows Kempo like a master would! That isn't a style I'm familiar   
with, and it's very effective. I'll have to find out where he learned it.~   
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. ~Ranma is far too skilled for his age. The way he   
stole my food without my noticing him, the way he moves, and the fact that he's   
beating men four times his age and three times his size...~  
  
Landing easily on his feet, Ranma flipped Kenshin a cocky grin and said, "Piece   
'o' cake! I was just too good for them."  
  
"You are good Ranma, but too much pride will be your downfall. There *are*   
fighters who are as good if not better than you are."  
  
"Yea, I know, I know! I figured that out when I saw how fast *you* move."  
  
~So that's it.~ "If you are thinking what I think you are thinking, well, I   
can't promise anything. My art, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, is made for killing.   
The only reason the techniques I use don't kill is because of my weapon."  
  
"Hey, a martial artist doesn't kill either. That doesn't mean I can't learn   
some of the speed techniques you use. Heh, if I got that fast..." Ranma laughed   
in a slightly disturbing manner.  
  
Kenshin sweatdropped. "Oro..."  
  
High noon. Together, two redheads walked on...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Sixteen years in the past, on the same day of Ranma Saotome's birth, another   
boy was born and given the name "Ranma". This Ranma was born to Tenchi and   
Ryoko Masaki, in Washu's high-tech lab below the Masaki shrine, in the   
mountains of Southern Japan.  
  
Standing beside Tenchi, Tsunami opened her eyes to see the birth of her   
champion's first child. The vision she had just experienced told Tsunami that   
while Tenchi would always be her avatar, his son was destined for something far   
greater.  
  
The years rolled past...  
  
Ranma grew into a cute little boy. His eyes, a deep blue-gray, reminded   
Katsuhito of his daughter Achika, Tenchi's mother. Ranma's black hair wasn't as   
spiky as Ryoko's, but it was spiky enough to make putting it in the short braid   
he preferred difficult. Ranma was a gentle boy, taking after his father in most   
respects, but he had a competitive streak in him that matched his mother's.   
And he could be as stubborn as Ryoko too. Fortunately, Ranma had his interests,   
which could be used to get him to do other, less pleasant things. The Kendo   
lessons that Tenchi had so dreaded in his youth seemed to be the pleasure of   
Ranma's...  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
His first day of lessons...  
  
"Well Ranma, it seems that the time has finally come to start your training   
in the Masaki style of Kendo." Ranma's 'Great-Grandfather' handed the boy a   
bokken.  
  
"Yay! Finally!" came the enthusiastic response. And the training began.  
  
Off to the side, Ryoko wrapped her arms around her husband lovingly as they   
watched their son. "Look at him, Tenchi, he seems to have Mom's capacity for   
learning. His very first day, and he's absorbing the kata like a dry sponge on   
water! At this rate he'll be better than you before you know it."  
  
Tenchi Masaki smiled and put an arm around his wife in turn. "What I'd like   
to know is how he is already so good with his hands and feet." He pointed.   
"See that? Ranma almost surprised Katsuhito with that kick." Tenchi and Ryoko   
continued to watch as Ranma dodged another thrust and used the force of   
Katsuhito's following upward swing to launch himself away. The young boy landed   
cat-like on all fours.  
  
"That kid is a bigger mystery than you, and *that* puzzles me even more," said a   
voice from behind them.  
  
Ryoko jumped up and practically tackled the crab-haired scientist in a huge   
hug. "Hi Mom!" she squealed.  
  
Tenchi grinned; some things never change. "It's been a while, hasn't it   
Washu-*chan*. How's Kiyone and her daughter? And the rest of the GP crew?"  
  
Ryoko let go and rejoined her husband, while Washu tilted her head to the side   
in mimed thought. "A while? Why Tenchi, a year and two months surely isn't   
that much?" They both grinned.  
  
"It's long enough for *that*," he said, pointing toward Ranma's lesson. "He's   
doing a hundred times better than anyone could possibly expect from an almost-  
five-year-old. Are you sure you haven't unlocked any of his 'inherited powers'?"  
  
Washu shook her head in bewilderment. "If you are referring to Ryoko's   
abilities, then no. Right now he *should* be as normal as anything other five-  
year-old boy on Earth. Speaking of powers, what do you think I should unlock   
for Ranma's fifth birthday?"  
  
"Why not begin releasing the strength limiters?" suggested Ryoko. "Little by   
little, so he would learn to better control his strength. Then I'd be able to   
start the 'toughening-up sessions'." She grinned evilly.  
  
Tenchi assumed a mock-horrified expression. "Ryoko! You'd do that to our little   
boy?!"  
  
"But of course. He'll need a thick hide to survive his teens. After all, like   
father, like son." Tenchi blushed, remembering his youth, while Ryoko and   
Washu laughed. "Don't worry lover-boy. *You* taught me how to be gentle, and is   
how I will most certainly start."  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Sasami, long ago fused with Tsunami, shook her head and put that memory into the   
back of her mind. Ranma was seven and a half now. His regular schooling had   
begun some time ago, though it would be for social reasons instead of for   
knowledge. Washu was seeing to the knowledge end of Ranma's education.  
  
With her trademark sunny smile, Sasami stepped out into the back porch of the   
Masaki Shrine, Ranma and Katsuhito coming into view as she did. The pigtailed   
boy was learning so much at a fantastic rate. Washu frequently said that Ranma   
was a *huge* pleasure to teach, as the boy grasped concepts that would have been   
beyond children half again his age!  
  
Even more, Sasami noted with satisfaction that Ranma was not becoming conceited   
in any way. With amazing certainty for one so young, he pushed his limits and   
took pride in his accomplishments. Ranma was also amicable and always willing to   
lend a hand. The parents of the friends Ranma had made at school often   
complemented Tenchi and Ryoko on their ability to raise such a mature son. The   
only complaints that were heard were from the school, when they had to explain   
to some parents exactly how it was that their child was not only a bully, but   
was beaten up for bullying by a boy two or three years younger. Ranma's only   
comment was, "It's a martial artist's duty to protect the weak, right?"  
  
As for his fighting ability... well, 'astounding' would be an understatement. A   
*big* one. Ranma continued to advance in the Juraian sword arts, and was   
learning to use his 'inherited abilities' almost as fast as Washu unlocked them.   
Sasami chuckled at the thought of what would happen if any kind of threat   
decided to show itself in the coming years.  
  
The Juraian Empire would soon have the best guardian to be born in the last   
thousand years.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
In a dimension where magic rules...  
  
Lina Inverse, 11-year-old rookie sorceress, moved hesitantly down the path   
leading to her sister's house. ~I don't believe this,~ she thought as she   
walked. ~It's been what, three whole years since I last willingly saw Luna. I   
managed to stay at the mage guild longer by taking those extra classes, but   
everybody gets the boot eventually. And not even two months pass before I get a   
message from Luna that says "Come home, I need you." *Need* me?! Luna never   
needed me for anything but as someone for her to pick on and terrorize!~  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
[ACHOO] ~Hmm... I hope I'm not coming down with something. Lina should be here   
soon, or not at all. In the name of Cepheid please let it be the former.~  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Luna Inverse's house is fairly normal. It's large, but that is to be expected   
when talking about the Knight of Cepheid. Luna is also quite an accomplished   
sorceress, and so a magical inspection of the house would reveal a series of   
wards and shields that could deter anything less than an all-out attack by a   
number of very powerful beings. Beyond that, rumors said that Luna had placed a   
few weirder enchantments upon her home, either to make living a bit easier, or   
just for kicks. None of those enchantments included one that made the roof jump   
off its mounts and come crashing back down. *That* was testimony to just how   
loud Lina Inverse screeched when she found out exactly what had made Luna call   
her home.  
  
"*WHAT*?!?"  
  
"Little sister, meet Ranko. Ranko, meet your Aunt Lina."  
  
"Hi Auntie!" chirped the little girl. Dressed in burgundy tights and a beige   
tunic, Ranko looked amazingly like Lina considering that the comparison was   
between an 11-year-old and a 6-year-old. Her fiery red-orange hair was   
relatively long and almost as curly, trailing behind her in a long braid. The   
biggest difference besides the age was Ranko's eyes, a deep blue-gray to Lina's   
brownish-red.  
  
Lina looked rather disturbed by the resemblance. "Who's the father?"  
  
Luna's face darkened slightly. "Ranko, go play outside."  
  
"Ok Mom!" Ranko ran out of the room.  
  
With her daughter gone, Luna sighed. "I don't know."  
  
"WHAT?!?"  
  
"Lina, would you please stop screaming like that. You're giving me a headache."  
  
"Bu-bu-bu-bu-," Lina stuttered. "-but that's crazy! First I find out you're a   
mother, and have been for the past six years, *then* I find out that you don't   
even know whose little girl you're raising!"  
  
"Lina! How can you say that?!" came the angry response. "I don't care even if   
she causes *twice* the trouble you ever did! Ranko is my daughter."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Outside, Ranko was enjoying herself. She needed to keep practicing her favorite   
spells, on a target preferably. And lo-and-behold, a target presented itself.   
"Come back here! I'm not finished! ELMIKIA LANCE!"  
  
The Ogre ran faster as a beam of white magic ripped through the space he   
occupied a moment ago. The little girl in the clearing *looked* like she would   
have made a nice snack. He found out the hard way just how wrong that assessment   
was. "FLARE ARROW!" A number of small flaming missiles set the Ogre's backside   
on fire, and he howled in a small amount of pain and a large amount of   
embarrassment.  
  
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who is being referred to, the Ogre   
stumbled upon the rest of the hunting party from his tribe. His fellows helped   
him put out the last of the flames still burning on the Ogre. Then they wanted   
to know what happened. Thinking fast, the Ogre immediately began warning them   
about a Monster that had been chasing him, taunting him and torturing him with   
minor fire spells. They didn't like the thought of one of their own of being   
mocked by a Monster and vowed to kill it for its insult.  
  
It was at that moment that Ranko ran into the clearing. "Uh-oh" indeed. The   
clearing was filled with angry Ogres. She noticed the one she'd been chasing as   
soon as he began shouting.  
  
"THAT'S HER! THE MONSTER DISGUISED AS A LITTLE GIRL! GET HER!" At first the   
others thought the Ogre was crazy. Monsters don't disguise themselves as little   
human girls. But then...  
  
Ranko acted instantly. "Source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson,   
let thy power gather in my hand--FIREBALL!" The ball of orange energy was small   
compared to the one her mother had thrown at that funny priest-guy the last time   
he popped up, but it was big enough. The Ogres scattered to dodge the attack,   
only to watch as it fell short and detonated, throwing up a cloud of dust. "I'm   
outta here! RAYWING!" Using the dust cloud for cover, Ranko headed for home as   
fast as she could.  
  
The Ogres followed from the ground, throwing axes and spears at her whenever   
they got a clear shot. Casting any kind of spell at all should have been beyond   
a six-year-old human girl... which meant that this *wasn't* a six-year-old   
human girl. The other Ogres were now convinced that their tribesman wasn't   
crazy.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Suddenly both Inverse sisters stiffened.  
  
"I just--" Lina began.  
  
Luna finished, "--felt something. And given *what* it felt like..." [GROAN-  
thump thump thump thump]  
  
"Eh... Luna? What are you doing?" Lina sweatdropped at the sight before her: the   
unflappable, icy-calm Luna... repeatedly banging her head on the surface of a   
handy table.   
  
"Come on, sis'. We have to find Ranko. *Now*," she said as she stood up. To   
herself, Luna muttered, "I can't believe I forgot to restrict Ranko to the yard.   
Baka Luna!"  
  
"Wha--Hey! Let go!" Lina protested. Being pulled so fast that your feet leave   
the ground isn't a pleasant experience.  
  
"Can't. Sorry Lina, but the reason I called you home is because Ranko *does*   
cause twice as much trouble as you did. I need your help just for damage   
control, while I teach her some discipline." Lina simply gaped as Luna cast   
her flight spell and took off, dragging her sister along for the ride.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
The reason for Luna's behavior was instantly obvious once they were airborne.   
Lina's jaw dropped at the sight of it. A fair distance away, little Ranko could   
be seen dodging dozens of thrown weapons, in mid-air. That wasn't the real   
reason for Lina's reaction though. It was exactly *how* Ranko was moving.  
  
The little redhead touched down on one branch, then leapt toward another five   
meters away. Two of those meters were passed by Ranko's physical jump   
alone, while the last three were covered as Ranko fed energy to a flight spell,   
boosting her jump. As she touched down on the next branch, Ranko let the   
strength of the spell drop, conserving however much mana a six-year-old could   
tap. Then she repeated the whole process. ~And she's not using Levitation!   
That's the Raywing spell! I only just mastered that spell, and she's all ready   
using it at the age of *six*!!~  
  
And even more amazing was how Ranko dodged every single weapon thrown at her.   
Even without using her flight spell, she twisted out of the path of spears,   
arrows, and axes with incredible fluidity, landing perfectly every time. And she   
seemed to do it almost effortlessly! Ranko cart-wheeled, flipped, and spun in   
ways that Lina had never dreamed of, and she succeeded with only narrow tree   
branches as landing points!  
  
"Luna... just *what* have you been feeding that girl?"  
  
Luna ignored the question. "Ranko!! Over here!" Flicking a glance at Lina she   
asked, "Can you fly on your own now?"  
  
Lina nodded, "RAYWING!" and floated apart from her elder sister.  
  
"Good! Grab Ranko and bring her back to me!" The blue-haired Inverse touched   
down on a relatively thick branch.  
  
"RANKO! HOLD ON, I'M COMING!" Lina swooping down at Ranko, who, in one last   
burst of agility, kicked off a heavy axe coming at her in a flat spin,   
propelling her up into her aunt's arms. Lina reversed directions instantly,   
noticing that Luna had begun chanting something.  
  
The younger Inverse got back to her sister just as, "BOMB DI WIND!" Luna cast   
the mother of all wind spells. A hurricane-level blast of wind ripped through   
the forest canopy and slammed into what seemed to be an Ogre hunting party,   
literally blowing them away.  
  
Lina blinked, still holding Ranko. "A wind spell? Why not a fireball or   
something more permanent?"  
  
"Yes, well why not burn the forest to the ground?" Luna asked, her voice thick   
with sarcasm. Lina winced, looking sheepish. "Really sis', you are just too   
predictable." Then Luna turned her attention to the girl trying to bury herself   
in her aunt's front. Which wasn't very effective. "Now, just *what* are we going   
to do about a certain redheaded Mazoku-wannabe, who *somehow* manages to piss   
off everybody else in the general vicinity?"  
  
Ranko gulped. "Uh-oh..."  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
That night...  
  
"I don't believe it."  
  
"Believe it Lina. Ranko is as out-of-control as you were when you first learned   
magic. She's become the terror of bandits and beasts all over this valley, not   
to mention several of the villages."  
  
"HOW?! She's only six years old! You didn't even give me my first magic lesson   
until I *was* six!"  
  
Luna sank back into her chair. "That's what stumps me. The amount of raw magic   
power and ability I sensed in Ranko when she was born was impressive. Not as   
much as yours, but still very impressive. However, the first time Ranko ever saw   
me use a spell happened to be a Flare Arrow, on some punk that was hitting on me   
in the restaurant. That was a week before she turned five. Two weeks later, I   
caught Ranko in the yard, tossing makeshift wood targets up in the air... and   
nailing them with Flare Arrows."  
  
Lina sweatdropped heavily. "..."  
  
"You can imagine how shocked I was. When I asked her who taught her, she said   
that she had "seen me use that spell" in the incident I mentioned. Ranko had   
spent all her free time since then experimenting, trying to figure out how to   
throw Flare Arrows herself."  
  
"And exactly *how* long did it take her to figure it out...?"  
  
Luna held up all the fingers on one hand. "Five days." Lina fell over. Her prone   
form twitched occasionally. "Lina? You OK?"  
  
"NO!!" she hollered, sitting upright.  
  
"Whatever. I think I have a partial explanation anyway. Just by watching Ranko,   
it's obvious that she has an astoundingly fast learning curve and amazing   
adaptability. She *also* has an affinity for understanding flows of energy, not   
just mana but other kinds as well. Sweet Cepheid, it's as if Ranko can *see*   
how lines of mana are woven together to cast different spells. If true, that   
would explain how she learned her first magic spell so fast."  
  
By now Lina's eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Um, Luna, is that even   
*possible* for a girl that young?"  
  
"That's what is stumping me," Luna moaned out, dropping her head into her hands.  
  
~Whoa... This is really getting to her! I've never, ever heard Luna moan about   
*anything* before.~  
  
"Hey brat." Lina's blood froze at her sister's tone of voice. Luna's head came   
up with a very different expression on her face. "Time to change the subject.   
Why do you think you lost every time we went head-to-head in the past?"  
  
"..."  
  
"That's what I thought. Still scared stiff of me?"  
  
"..."  
  
"I'm waiting."  
  
"..."  
  
[Sigh] "Mono Volt!"  
  
[ZZAAAK] "YEEOW!! That hurt!"  
  
"It was supposed to. Now answer the question."  
  
"...I don't know how to answer that." Luna raised an eyebrow. "W-wait! Please   
let me finish! It keeps changing! First you send me a message to come home.   
Then you receive me real nicely. Th-then you start using *that* tone again and   
call me 'brat'! Just like before!"  
  
"Well brat, I was so hard and mean to you because I knew two things. One: this   
world isn't a nice place, and you needed to be toughened up before you would be   
able to survive on your own. Two: eventually you *will* be on your own, and I   
didn't want you to think of running to your big sister every time you hit a   
roadblock that you couldn't get around at first. So I tormented you to make you   
believe that the *only* person you could ever turn to for help was yourself."   
Luna paused. "This isn't what I had planned for our reunion, but it can't be   
changed now. Understand this Lina: even though I won't be picking up the torture   
act again, I'm not going to save your ass, *ever*. I called you home because I   
wanted you to have a hand in raising your niece."  
  
Lina just stared for a while. Then she blinked, and slowly nodded her head. "I   
understand."  
  
"Good. Now go get some sleep. I want you up with the sun tomorrow."  
  
"Uh? Up with the sun? Why?"  
  
"Because Ranko has been getting up with the sun every single day for almost two   
years now. I want to know what she's doing up that early, but I can't because I   
need enough sleep to last me through the whole day. You on the other hand, can   
take an afternoon nap."  
  
Lina had a *bad* feeling about that. "Um... OK, sure thing Luna. Good night."  
  
"Good night... sis'."  
  
Two sisters prepared for the coming day, while the elder's daughter slept... and   
dreamed.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
If it was possible for the faceless to blanch, the Being of the Void would have   
done just that. While each of these five new lives didn't equal the potential   
from the first alone, together they were *more* powerful! The Being knew it   
could not manipulate the past, so the only thing it could do would be to   
manipulate the present...  
  
To be continued...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
A message from the author:  
  
It's done! Complete! FINISHED!! At 20 pages, this Part is probably the longest   
I've written yet. Don't worry, not many other Parts are going to be as long as   
this one.  
  
- Trooper1023  
  
  
An OLD message from the author:  
  
READERS, I *need* ideas, scenes, adventures, etc. for the five parts of   
Ranma's training.  
  
Those five segments will each have their own Part. A little piece at the end   
of each will be devoted to filling in more of the story's background, describing   
a few of the more notable battles in detail, and allowing the readers to keep   
tabs on the Nerima crew and the Senshi "back home".  
  
I'd also like some *MORE* ideas for the five Ranma's "adventures". Each Ranma   
(DBZ, RK, TM, Slayers, & FOTNS) will face a major challenge of some kind just   
before he disappears and is fused with the others and the "original" Ranma. I've   
already got ideas for the TM, Slayers, and RK Ranmas, and I figure a tournament   
followed a final fight with Kenshiro would do for FOTNS Ranma (but unlike "Star   
of War", Kenshiro isn't killed, so he can show up later as an ally). However,   
I'm at a bit of a loss for an adventure or challenge for DBZ Ranma. Please, if   
anyone has an idea for either of these, send it to me. Each adventure will be   
the "climax" of that Part of Ranma's training; after that is over, "Ranma"   
disappears from that dimension.  
  
- Trooper1023  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I took the "raiders attacking a town" idea and Ranma's introduction to the   
Hokuto Shin Ken from Dragonlord's "Star of War" (the scene bracketed by "--1--"  
was taken directly, with a few modifications).  
  
Here is a concise list of who births/adopts/raises/trains each part (color)   
of 'Ranma' and what he gains from them (and what sex each 'Ranma' is):  
  
- GOLD/male/black hair: Vegeta and Bulma, third child born (1 yr younger than   
Bra). Gains: raw offensive power as Saiyajin, skill at "hyper-kinetic" physical   
combat (a.k.a. DBZ-style fighting) and pride from Vegeta. 'Dragonball Z/GT'  
  
- BLACK/male/black hair: Kenshiro, adopted (at 7 yrs old) after original story   
line ends. Gains: raw physical strength and speed, knowledge of "killing   
arts", the sadness of knowing he can -and will- kill, from Kenshiro and Hokuto   
Shin Ken. 'Fist of The North Star'  
  
- GREEN/male/red hair: Kenshin Himura, found and adopted (is 6 yrs old at the   
time). Gains: skill with sword from Hiko Seijurou and the Hiten Mitsurugi   
Ryu, knowing "when to strike and when to back off" and gentleness from   
Kenshin. 'Rurouni Kenshin'  
  
- BLUE/male/black hair: Tenchi and Ryoko Masaki, first born child. Gains: raw   
defensive power from Wings of the Light Hawk, additional skill with sword and   
battle tactics from Yosho, wisdom from Tsunami, thirst for knowledge from Washu.   
'Tenchi Muyo'  
  
- RED/female/red hair: Luna Inverse and unknown father, first born. Gains:   
basic magic power/ability/knowledge from Luna, how to throw every black magic   
combat spell from a Fireball to a Dragon Slave) and appetite from Lina, basic   
knowledge of White magic from Amelia, some knowledge of Shamanistic magic from   
Zelgadis, swordsmanship from Gourry, a small liking for mischief from Xellos.   
'Slayers'   
  
  
_Special Thanks_  
  
Dragonlord - for being someone to bounce ideas off of, and for the intro of   
Ranma to Kenshiro (taken from his excellent fic: "Star of War")  
  
BlazingMew - for the intro plot to Ranma's training under Kenshin Himura and   
numerous suggestions for the story as a whole  
  
Lord Void - for the suggestion to make Ranma Tenchi and Ryoko's child  
  
DeMarco - for the idea of making the Tenchi plot contemporary, "meaning that   
Ranma Masaki would be living in the same time period as when the crisis is   
taking place. Since the Masaki shrine is located in southern Japan, Ranma   
Masaki would be unaffected by these events... until the danger starts to   
spread beyond Tokyo." Ranma Masaki would also be growing up at the same time   
as Ranma Saotome, and he'd be unknown to the Ranma crew throughout their   
adventures in Nerima  
  
Farmer - for a few REALLY nice suggestions for Lina's introduction to Ranko   
(Slayers Ranma), as well as Ranko's training  
  
  
Extra special thanks to this fic's first pre-reader, John Geroam Greyson.  
  
  
Update: 8/31/01  
  
I've changed the part where Kenshin enters the town so it reads less like a   
summery.  
  
Update: 9/15/01  
  
Added a nice chunk of dialogue to the DBZ and Kenshin sections. Also added   
more to the Tenchi section.  
  
Update: 9/26/01  
  
The Tenchi section is complete. Now to write the Slayers section...  
  
Update: 10/11/01  
  
Added an intro piece to the "villain" of this fic. It is good? Bad? Tell me.  
  
Also changed where the RK part of the story takes place. Instead of simply in   
the past of Ranma's original dimension, it takes place in a dimension that would   
have gone on to become the canon "Ranmaverse" (no TM or SM relation). I'll   
explain more on this in later chapters.  
  
Changed the name of this part to: "The Birth of The Five".  
  
Update: 10/25/01  
  
COMPLETION ACHIEVED! Changed Lina's age when she first meets Ranko. Changed   
Ranko's 'color' to red, changed HSK Ranma's 'color' to black.  
  
Update: 11/8/01  
  
Another slight modification to Lina's age; it'll make what I have planned   
for the Slayers timeline work better. Cut end section off and turned it into   
Part 1-C.  
  
Update: 1/24/01  
  
Created a new divider for flashbacks. Fixed minor grammar and spelling errors.  
  
  
C&C to: bjhaberman@prodigy.net  
Find the latest of my fics at: http://Trooper1023.tripod.com/ 


	3. On the Home Front

Disclaimer: All characters and concepts in this story are owned and copyrighted   
by their respective creators. They DO NOT belong to me. I'm just barrowing them.  
  
"Ultimate Crisis, Ultimate Warrior"  
A Ranma 1/2 - Sailor Moon x-over (primary)  
- Multiple Anime x-over (secondary)  
  
Written by Trooper1023  
  
Based on original story idea, "The Super Ranma", by Piccolo181  
View at: http://www.geocities.com/nighthawktm/idea.htm  
  
=text= is transmissions (long-distance communicators)  
[text] is sounds/actions  
*text* is emphasized words  
~text~ is thoughts  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Part I: When in Need of a Warrior  
Chapter 3: On the Home Front  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Nerima, the night of the eighth day...  
  
In the guest room of the Tendo Dojo, Nodoka Saotome dreamed. She dreamed of   
Ranma, or more precisely, *five* different Ranmas.  
  
Ranma... dressed in a blue bodysuit and white armor, a flame-like aura of blue   
around him. He is viciously trading blows with an older purple haired boy   
surrounded by a similar aura only white. The older boy oddly looks a lot like   
Ranma...  
  
Ranma... standing bare-chested before another, a *hugely* muscled warrior, on   
the field of what looks like an arena. His eyes flicker from blue-gray to gold,   
radiating the ki of a killer so brilliantly that Nodoka shivers...  
  
Ranma... his hair dark red, standing beside a shorter man who also has red hair,   
both wearing the grab of a samurai with swords at their waists. As they turn,   
Nodoka can see the cross-scar on the man's left cheek, and the long vertical   
scar that runs down the right side of her son's face, over his right eye to the   
line of his jaw. The man with the cross-scar seems oddly familiar to Nodoka...  
  
Ranma... dressed in a matte-black bodysuit and glossy-black body armor, with two   
black marks on the left side of his face. He holds a battle staff of black and   
gold in a two-handed stance, and behind him float two angular blades of black   
energy, like wings of darkness. Looking closer, Nodoka can see that his blue   
eyes are slitted, like a cat's...  
  
Ranma... in female form, with red-orange hair and dressed in an odd-looking   
skin-tight outfit of black and gold, with black shoulder guards and a black   
cape. Ranma narrows her eyes - which shift from the familiar blue-gray to   
startling molten red - then rears back a hand. An orange ball of light forms in   
her hand, which she throws with a shout at an ugly beast charging toward her.   
The beast vanishes in an explosion of orange flames...  
  
Nodoka woke with a gasp. Closing her eyes, she began to think of the images in   
her dream. Of five very different versions of her son... one of them female!  
  
~Why am I seeing these things in my sleep? Are these other 'Ranma's simply   
examples of other ways my son that could have grown up, if things had turned out   
differently? Or is the connection even closer than that?~  
  
Suddenly Nodoka started, realizing why the man standing next to the red-haired   
Ranma in her dream was familiar. ~That was Great-Grandfather Kenshin when he was   
young! What was *he* doing standing next to my--~ Nodoka's thought cut off.   
~This can't be right! That *was* Ranma in my dream, despite the red... hair?!?~   
She shook her head in confusion. ~Great-Grandfather died just after meeting my   
son, only a few weeks before Ranma's third birthday. What did he say... "You   
were right... to name your son... Ranma... he reminds me... of a boy I adopted   
once... a long time ago..."~ Nodoka's head spun as she tried to make sense of   
the mess of images and memories in her mind. She shook her head violently. ~Ugh,   
enough all ready. I'm going to question myself into madness at this rate.~ She   
sat up on her futon and gazed out the window.  
  
~Ranma... my son... please hurry home,~ she pleaded silently.  
  
A few minutes later, a terrified scream reverberated around the house.  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
-----------------------------DREAM-------------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
"Akane! This is sooooooo *boring*!"  
  
"Ranma, you're going to have to learn about shopping eventually. Might has well   
do it now instead of later, and here in the brand new mall in Juuban."  
  
"But what kinda use am I gonna have for a *mall*?! All you're doing is walkin'   
around in circles, stickin' your nose in random shop windows. Hell, you ain't   
even buyin' a tenth of what ya pick up and look at!" Ranma-chan growled sourly.  
  
"Ever heard of browsing?"  
  
"Um, yeah. So?"  
  
"Ugh! You drive me crazy sometimes! This is what *normal* teenagers do with some   
of their free time."  
  
"You mean girls, doncha?"  
  
"And? You're a girl."  
  
"I AM *NOT*!!!" Ranma-chan roared. When practically half the mall turned her   
way, she gave every looker such a glare that they all cringed and looked away.  
  
Akane however giggled. "Wow, are you the touchy one."  
  
"Shaddup, ya un-cute tomboy!"  
  
"What did you call me?!"  
  
"Ya heard me right! Tomboy! I ain't no girl, but I gotta say I'm *still* more   
girlish than *you*!"  
  
An angry red battle aura flickered into existence around Akane. "Do you *want*   
to get malleted?" she asked in a lethally quiet voice.  
  
"Ya know what? I *do* want it! Go a'head 'n' hit me!!"  
  
"..." Ranma began to sweat as the battle aura vanished suddenly and a truly evil   
grin spread across Akane's face. "In that case, I'm *not* going to give you the   
pounding you so rightfully deserve. Instead... you're going to follow me through   
every feminine clothing and hygiene store in the mall!!"  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
"WWWHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY MMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" An anguished cry echoed around   
the buildings of downtown Juuban.  
  
Makoto Kino winced in sympathy. "What kind of terrible things have to be done to   
some poor girl to make her scream like *that*?" Minako Ano nodded in silent   
agreement. Suddenly a pair of beeping noses started coming from their purses.   
The two Sailor Senshi pulled them out and activated them.  
  
=Makoto, Minako?= came Ami's voice.  
  
"Yeah?" they replied in unison.  
  
=Get over to that new mall that just opened and do it fast! I'm reading a *lot*   
of Negaverse energy building up underneath that mall. I think that's where the   
next attack is going to be!=  
  
"Got it, Ami! We're on our way!"  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
---Fight scene: Inner Senshi and Ranma-chan VS. super-charged youma---  
-----------------------------DREAM-------------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
With a shriek Akane bolted upright in her bed.  
  
Several thumps sounded in other parts of the house, and less than a minute later   
both Kasumi and Nodoka were in Akane's room, holding her and trying to calm her   
trembling.  
  
"Onee-chan, what is it? What scared you so badly?" asked Kasumi, obvious concern   
in her brown eyes.  
  
Akane's trembling subsided and her gasping slowed to more normal breathing.   
"Kasumi... I-it was--" her voice caught. Akane swallowed to try and continue,   
but she turned away from her older sister to face Nodoka. "It was... a distorted   
memory... kinda... Auntie, I-I was reliving that first attack Ranma and I got   
caught in. The one in the Juuban Mall."  
  
Nodoka leaned toward Akane, enfolding her in a hug of her own. "Akane, you said   
it was distorted... how?"  
  
"It was exactly the same as what happened, up to when I was digging Ranma out of   
the rubble of the wall she was knocked through. But in my... dream... after   
Ranma shook her head, she opened her eyes... and I found myself looking into the   
eyes of a cat!"  
  
"The eyes of a cat?"  
  
"They were still blue-gray, but the pupils were so tall and narrow..." Akane   
again trembled slightly. "Then I screamed and woke up."  
  
After a few more reassurances that she was fine, Akane shooed Kasumi and Nodoka   
out of her room so she could sleep. But instead of that, Akane found herself   
recalling other events that had happened...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Elsewhere, in "Ucchan's Okonomiyaki"...  
  
Ukyou bolted upright, barely hold back a scream of her own. Slowly, her rapid   
breathing eased. ~Another nightmare... No, that was more than a nightmare. It   
was a memory...~  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
"Kusooo! Why is it that *we* have to get attacked?!" grunted Akane, dodging the   
tendrils that this youma used for arms for all she was worth. Ukyou didn't spare   
the breath to answer in words. Instead, the okonomiyaki chef hurled her last   
throwing spatulas at the youma. Charged with her chi from a technique Ryouga had   
shown her and Ranma had adapted for her use, two spatulas cut off bunches of   
thin, whip-like arms, while the last one sank into the youma's single eye. It   
screamed in pain and began lashing out wildly in all directions.  
  
A cry of "Kijin Raishu Dan!" announced that at least there had been one complete   
victory. Ranma's vacuum-blade cut the other youma, blocky and as tough as hard   
oak, in half. It then disintegrated. Ukyou flicked a glance Ranma's way...   
"WATCH OUT UKYOU!!" he roared suddenly. Ukyou realized her mistake just as she   
was hit.  
  
Just before Ukyou blacked out completely, she thought ~He'll help Akane. He   
loves her after all. Oh Ran-chan...~ Then she was unconscious and knew no more.  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Ukyou lay back in her bed, a newly installed skylight in her room allowing her   
to see the stars in the sky...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
Ranma's eyes narrowed to slits. To his left, Ukyou had been stunned by a lucky   
hit from one flailing tendril. Knocked off balance, she was falling over the   
edge of the building. To his right, Akane was nearly out of space to move,   
cornered by more of the youma's wildly waving arms. He had enough time to help   
one of them... only one.  
  
Ranma had to choose. He did.  
  
~What are you just standing there for?! *Do* something!~ cried Akane mentally.  
  
As if he'd somehow heard her thought, Ranma's eyes locked with Akane's. There   
was a sadness there, as if... ~He's not going to help me.~  
  
Then Ranma dived over the edge, after Ukyou.  
  
For a second Akane was shocked motionless. Then her old stubbornness flared up.   
~Well I don't need his help *anyway*!~ She reared back to throw her usual   
haymaker... but lacking room to wind up for the punch, she ended up putting her   
elbow through the already-weak wall behind her, inadvertently giving her more   
room to move. Several whip-arms lashed the air where Akane had been standing a   
second ago. Dodging backward, Akane found herself out of room yet again.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH HER! PERFECT SHI SHI HOUKODAN!!!" A massive ball of green chi   
erupted out on the roof, vaporizing the wounded youma. As its remains crumbled   
to dust, Akane felt the strain of the fight finally catch up with her, and she   
sank to the floor. "Akane!" She blinked, realizing that someone *was* calling   
her name.  
  
"Ryouga?"  
  
"Akane... what happened?"  
  
"We were attacked by two youma. Ranma killed one of them, but the other... the   
other one knocked Ukyou off the roof and had me cornered."  
  
"Just you three!? What did he do?! Tell me!"  
  
"He... He jumped off the roof after Ukyou. I-I can't believe he'd just leave me   
like that..."  
  
"..." Ryouga was speechless.  
  
"Ya think *I* can believe it myself?" Ranma wasn't.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
Ranma frowned oddly, Ukyou cradled to his chest. "Akane... I-I donno what   
happened. I saw you cornered and Ukyou falling off the roof... And the next   
thing I know, I'm falling after Ukyou. It... just... happened... so fast..." His   
voice trailed off and he looked away, feeling guilty. ~Please don't hate me   
Akane. I donno if I could live with that.~  
  
Akane hugged herself tightly, shivering. ~He doesn't care about me.~ "You...   
you... you *baka*!" Ranma flinched. ~No, he does. Otherwise he wouldn't have   
that guilty look on his face. But he doesn't care about me as much...~ Her eyes   
fell on Ukyou.  
  
Ranma noticed her gaze. ~What the hell are these things I'm feeling!? Do I care   
about Ukyou? Or do I care about Akane? Do I care about *both* of 'em?!~ "Urk!"   
~I hope not! Not way I'm gonna be like Kuno!~ He looked into Akane's face, her   
expression. She brought her gaze up to meet his, then looked away. ~Aw jeez, she   
thinks I don't care. But I can't be two places at once, so how--~  
  
Suddenly Ranma's face light up with a grin. ~Of course I can't be in two places   
at once. I just need to have somebody else always watching out for Akane. And I   
know just the person, too.~ He sent a certain kind of look toward Ryouga.  
  
The Lost Boy sneezed. Then he caught the look Ranma was giving him and blinked.   
~Is he telling me to do what I *think* he's telling me to do?!~  
  
Akane shivered again in the cold evening air. ~So I'm on my own now, without   
Ranma looking out for me. But isn't that what I always wanted? I'm finally rid   
of that jerk... always getting... in my... way...?~ Suddenly a pair of strong   
arms slid around her and picked her up. "R-Ryouga?!" she squeaked in surprise.   
He blushed.  
  
"Ah, um, please, lets just get you home safely. And, uh..." He glanced over at   
Ranma.  
  
"Chill Ryouga, I'll lead ya to the dojo. Then I'll go drop off Ukyou."  
  
Akane looked at Ryouga. ~He didn't call him P-chan.~  
  
Ryouga looked at Akane. ~He didn't call me P-chan.~  
  
~What's up with him?~ they thought identically.  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Akane tossed and turned in her bed as she recalled the rest of that night, just   
under a month ago. That fight against youma had been the fourth Ranma and Ryouga   
had been involved in, and the first in which Ranma used the Saotome Forbidden   
Techniques. Akane shuddered at the thought of how that fight could have turned   
out if Ranma hadn't opened up the Yamasen-ken and Umisen-ken.  
  
After Ranma had left to drop off Ukyou at her restaurant, Akane found herself   
confronted by Ryouga in her room. He had been so nervous, and then Akane had   
found out why. That was the night that Ryouga finally worked up the guts to tell   
her that he had a Jusenkyou curse. That *he* was her pet P-chan. Akane would   
have pounded him flat and told him that she never wanted to see him again, if   
she hadn't been exhausted from the fight. Fortunately for both their sanities   
she *was* exhausted, giving Ryouga enough time to fumble his words and still say   
what he wanted to say.  
  
It was a knock on the head for Akane. Ranma had been hinting at P-chan's   
identity all along, but couldn't say anything directly because of his honor and   
his feeling of responsibility. And as for Ryouga, Akane had to admit that she'd   
never given "P-chan" an opportunity to object to her treatment of him. Then came   
the revelation of Ryouga's extreme shyness around girls... and the reason "P-  
chan" got nosebleeds so often. Akane flushed in embarrassment at that thought.  
  
However, what had really touched Akane was how Ryouga had kept every single   
secret she'd told him whenever she'd been feeling down and started talking to   
her "pet". Even though he'd run off as "P-chan" and come back as Ryouga,   
swearing vengeance for something Ranma did to her, Ryouga had never revealed   
anything of her private thoughts to anyone, keeping them only in his heart. The   
final touch was when Ryouga opened up *his* heart to her. It stunned Akane to   
learn that Ryouga had fallen in love with her that first time she'd defended   
him, the "helpless piglet", from Ranma.  
  
A huge weight seemed to have lifted from their shoulders. Suddenly feeling   
daring, Akane had embraced Ryouga and given him a kiss on the lips, the kind   
Shampoo kept trying to land on Ranma. Ryouga seemed to take it really well after   
the initial shock passed, but afterward the thought of the more 'ecchi   
activities that would come after the kissing gave the poor guy a major nosebleed   
and he'd passed out. Akane thought she had heard somebody's laughter as she   
dragged Ryouga into the dojo. She decided that Ranma wouldn't mind if she let   
Ryouga use his futon and dragged that into the dojo as well.  
  
The next day had been filled with seemingly endless moments of embarrassed   
silence as she and Ranma tried to dig their feelings for each other out of   
hiding. It was terribly painful, both of them ready to tear each other's throats   
out at several points. Still, the feelings they brought to light were worth the   
pain, not to mention how Akane felt like a total idiot for not making those   
realizations sooner. And by the look on Ranma's face, he'd felt like he was just   
as big an idiot as she felt herself.  
  
As for the realizations themselves, well... Akane got one of the biggest shocks   
of her life when Ranma had off-handedly commented that "Me and you bicker enough   
to be siblings! 'Wish Pops'd realize that instead of pushing the engagement..."  
  
Ranma might have made the comment, but Akane realized just how true it was. It   
made sense after all. Looking back on her relationship with Ranma and all the   
fights and disagreements they'd gotten into, Akane realized that they *had* been   
bickering with each other like only siblings would. Of course, Akane practically   
had to beat Ranma in the head with his own comment, but then he too realized its   
truthfulness. Thinking back, Ranma remembered the Martial Arts skating match   
with Mikado Sanzenin and Azusa. Despite his proclamation of Akane being "his   
fiancee", Ranma had been acting more like a brother protecting his little   
sister's innocence.  
  
It was really weird. Neither Ranma nor Akane found it very difficult to start   
thinking of each other as siblings. Then Ranma realized that he'd been   
*thinking* of Akane like an annoying sister that needed to be teased, since the   
failed wedding!  
  
And then Akane found out that she *had* heard a guy's laughter as she dragged   
Ryouga away the previous night, Ranma's laughter!  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
"Ranma... you were *eavesdropping* on my conversation with Ryouga?" asked Akane,   
a vein bulging on her forehead.  
  
"Yup." Ranma simply didn't notice the warning signs.  
  
"And...?" Akane's hand flexed, poised to mallet the baka in front of her.  
  
Ignoring all common sense, Ranma continued... "It's great that you and Ryouga   
are finally admittin' you're feelings. Like we just did." ...and by some   
incredible change of luck, happened to say exactly the right thing. Akane   
blinked, her battle aura dispersing.  
  
"And who would'a known that Ryouga was a good kisser!" Ranma teased, that   
annoying smirk spreading across his face.  
  
"H-how did--" Akane stammered.  
  
"Ah com'on Akane! I saw that blush you had on as you hauled him into the dojo.   
You were red as a tomato!"  
  
"Grrrr... Ranma no baka!"  
  
"And you know you enjoyed it too tomboy!"  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Akane chuckled to herself, remembering how that conversation had dissolved into   
their usual bickering. It was different though; from that point on, Akane found   
that bickering with Ranma was... fun. The smirk that rode his face during   
bickering matches told Akane that he too got a kick out of it...  
  
~Please come back to us soon... you baka brother of mine.~  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Ukyou had woken up late the next mourning in her own bed, her injuries expertly   
wrapped and treated. Simply relaxing for a change, she'd almost jumped out of   
her skin when Ranma had come bounding into her restaurant around mid-day, a   
*huge* grin spread across his face.  
  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
-----------------------------START-------------------------------------  
"HI U-CHAN!"  
  
"Wah!" Startled, Ukyou lost her balance.  
  
"Whoa, careful there U-chan. Maybe you shouldn't be up so soon." Ranma was there   
in a flash, steadying her. Ukyou blinked.  
  
"Yo, Ran-chan, are you ok?" ~He's never *this* friendly because he's afraid   
Akane'll walk in and get the wrong idea...~  
  
"Hell yeah!" Ranma crowed, bursting with energy. "I haven't felt this good   
since... since..." He blushed and looked away. "...Since we played together U-  
chan. As little kids." He looked back at his friend and blinked. "U-chan?"  
  
"Ah, Ran-chan, are you sure you should be so... enthusiastic?" Ukyou remarked,   
pointing behind him. Ranma turned to see Akane standing in the door.  
  
"Yeah, and?" Ukyou's eyes bugged in shock.  
  
When the sound of wood being hit by something harder reached her ears Ukyou   
turned back to the door. [Blink] Akane was banging her head on the doorframe,   
muttering "Baka, baka, baka," over and over again. Abruptly she stopped. "You're   
own your own, dummy. Don't expect any help from me if you can't explain it   
right." Then she was gone.  
  
[Blink] [Blink] "Ok Ran-chan, what the *hell* is going on here?"  
  
Ranma smirked, his mirth very apparent. "Last night Akane found out that a   
certain someone is a surprisingly good kisser."  
  
"WHAAAAAT!?!" Ukyou's combat spatula was suddenly up and pricking Ranma's neck.   
"Ok Ran-chan, tell me exactly *what* you mean by that statement."  
  
"Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to... Ukyou? Wait that means   
that I'm back in Nerima..." Ryouga blinked, noticing Ranma position relative to   
Ukyou. "Um, what did Ranma do *now*?"  
  
"Grrrr... he kissed Akane, that's what!!!" Ukyou screamed.  
  
"NANI?!?" Ryouga whirled on Ranma, looking mighty pissed. However, in the time   
it took for Ryouga to find out why Ukyou was so steamed, Ranma managed to figure   
out what he'd said wrong.  
  
"Who said *I* kissed Akane?!?" Both Ukyou and Ryouga stopped and blinked. "What   
I actually said was, 'Last night Akane found out that a certain *someone* is a   
surprisingly good kisser.' I never said it was me!!"  
  
"Oh." Ukyou flushed in embarrassment. "Um, sorry Ran-chan."  
  
Ranma held his head in his hands and groaned. "Ugh, don't worry about it. These   
things *always* happen to me."  
  
"Ah, right... Hey, hold up a second!" Ukyou stared at Ranma. "Akane was kissed   
by some guy and *you*, Ran-chan, are *happy* about it!?!"  
  
"Um, actually, Akane kissed *him*. But he returned it pretty damn good, if *her*   
blush was any indication." Ryouga's face began to twitch. "Heh, she even   
admitted that she enjoyed it!"  
  
"RAAAANNNMMMMAAAAAA!!! You were *spying* on me and Akane last night?!? HOW DARE   
YOU! PREPARE TO--"  
  
"Aw, give it a rest Ryouga. Come on, I'll take you to the dojo so you get   
started on some really *private* activities with your girlfriend." Several   
'ecchi images involving him and Akane in her bed, without clothes, popped into   
Ryouga's mind. A few seconds later he passed out from a massive nosebleed.  
  
Ukyou continued to gape open-mouthed at the scene before her. ~Akane and...   
Ryouga?! And Ranma's *encouraging* them!?~ A hand waved in front of her face,   
and Ukyou shook herself out of the daze she was falling into. "Ranchan, *please*   
tell me what in Kami-sama is going on here?"  
  
[Groan] "It's kinda obvious Ukyou. Ranma's been teasing Ryouga again... isn't   
that right, baka?"  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes. "That's something to get mad at? Jeez Akane, ya gotta do   
something 'bout your boyfriend's shyness problem. At this rate you wont get past   
first base!"  
  
Akane pulled an eyelid down and stuck her tongue out at Ranma. "And you teasing   
him about it is going to help?"  
  
"Ain't gonna hurt him either." [SPLASH] "Oui! What was that for ya tomboy?"   
Ranma-chan growled, swiping wet red hair from her face.  
  
"For being you." Akane turned to Ukyou. "How'd he piss you off before he finally   
explained himself?"  
  
Ukyou slapped a hand on her forehead. "That jackass said that you found out last   
night that 'a certain someone is a surprisingly good kisser'. Of course, I   
thought he was talking about himself." Akane couldn't reply immediately because   
she was too busy laughing.  
  
Ranma-chan snarled, "What am I, punching bag of the day? I *said* 'surprisingly   
good kisser' for a reason."  
  
One chestnut-brown eyebrow rose. "Oh? And why was that?"  
  
"Because it'd be surprising ta find out that *I* am *not* a good kisser, 'cause   
Shampoo's always lookin' for a chance to glomp and kiss me! If I wasn't a good   
kisser than she'd only be lookin' to glomp me anyway."  
  
Akane facefaulted Takahashi-style while a vein on Ukyou's forehead bulged. "You   
arrogant jackass! Shampoo's only been forcing kisses you, right? You've never   
actually kissed a girl, so how would you know if you're a good kisser?!"  
  
Ranma-chan grinned evilly. "You wanna find out... Ucchan?"  
  
"Huh? Wha-mmph!" 'mmph' because at that moment Ranma-chan tackled Ukyou in a   
glomp that would have made Shampoo jealous and kissed her full on the lips.   
Ukyou went stiff in shock as a strange feeling rolled across her body. Then she   
found herself beginning to return the kiss! ~WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!?! YES I   
WANT TO KISS RANMA, BUT *NOT* IN GIRL FORM!!~  
  
Akane sweatdropped. "Ranma no baka. You're supposed to be a guy when you do   
something like that. Here, let me help." Then she proceeded to dump a kettle-  
full of hot water she got from somewhere over the two girls. Turning the redhead   
into a guy.  
  
Ranma-chan's short, busty form morphed into the long, lean, muscled body of   
Ranma-kun, and Ukyou's eyes nearly popped out of her head as a wave of heat   
surged through her body. She was finally doing what she had always dreamed of   
doing, locked in a passionate kiss with Ranma. But the real thing was *far*   
better than anything she'd imagined! Adding in the weird feelings still floating   
around from when she'd been kissing Ranma in girl form, Ukyou's vision went red   
and she knew no more...  
  
...Until a painfully familiar, outraged, and female voice screamed, "AIYA! WHAT   
SPATULA GIRL DO TO AIREN?!? AIREN NEVER KISS SHAMPOO LIKE THAT!!! OBSTACLES FOR   
KILLING, YOU DIE TODAY SPATULA GIRL!!!"  
---------------------------FLASHBACK-----------------------------------  
------------------------------END--------------------------------------  
  
Ukyou sighed wistfully as she recalled the rest of that incident. Shampoo had   
been *very* angry, and had been putting out a battle aura as big as the one   
Ukyou had put out before that. Ukyou laughed again as she thought of the name   
Ranma had later tacked on that size and color of battle aura: the Jealous and   
Outraged Fiancée aura. For copyrighted use by furious fiancées only. Ukyou   
suspected that Ranma got that last bit from the thought of what Nabiki would do   
when inventing something.  
  
As for Shampoo, well... Ranma *hadn't* been happy to see his best friend (and   
possibly more, Ukyou blushed at the images that came with the thought) attacked   
by another with lethal intent. She, and Mousse too (he had been following   
Shampoo), had been shocked to hear Ranma roar, "DON'T YOU DARE!" and send   
Shampoo sprawling with Ukyou's own combat spatula, straight into Mousse.  
  
Fortunately for the almost-blind Amazon's health, he realized that Ranma wasn't   
going to take any crap, from him or from anyone else. Mousse simply picked   
himself and Shampoo up and leaped away. Ukyou, Akane, and Ryouga (awake again)   
blinked collectively, but Ranma only stared down at his hands, as if they had   
betrayed him.  
  
Ukyou sighed once more. It still eluded her, why Ranma had been so stubborn   
about hurting any girl, including Shampoo. While she *was* glad that Akane and   
herself no longer had any reason to be at odds with each other, Ukyou found   
herself sharing Ranma's pain.  
  
~Oh Ran-chan... Please come back to me... My heart is empty without you...~  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
In five places far away from Nerima, four boys named Ranma and one girl named   
Ranko sneezed. Three times. Each.  
  
To be continued...  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
A lot of people have been asking for explanations of some OOC stuff in UCUW   
Part 1-A. That's what this part is; just some history to the story, and to set   
up for the rest of it.  
  
*HOWEVER*, this part is *NOT* finalized! By no means at all! I slapped this   
together because I need to start putting some thought into just how   
relationships between the Wrecking Crew members are going to change. This is a   
sort of a "see the result, then see the reasons/history later" type thing. Go   
ahead and flame me if you think 1-C is *that* bad, just make sure you include   
useful criticism and suggestions. Otherwise I won't be able to make it better!  
  
  
First Posted: 11/8/01  
  
Cut end section off Part 1-B and turned it into Part 1-C. Worked in   
scene/flashback of the changed relationships between Ranma, Ukyou, Ryouga, and   
Akane. Also added to Nodoka's reaction to her 'dream'.  
  
Update: 11/16/01  
  
Moved Akane's and Ukyou's flashbacks to another chapter, where they could be   
used better.  
  
Update: 12/29/01  
  
Moved Akane's and Ukyou's flashbacks back to this chapter after some   
rewriting. Hopefully this chapter will now better explain some of the back   
history to UCUW's first chapter.  
  
Update: 1/24/02  
  
Nearing completion. Re-ordered the flashback and dream sequences so they   
have continuity. Wrote out the fight scene "Ranma, Akane, and Sailor Senshi vs.   
super-charged youma". Changed Nodoka's vision of "Ranma Masaki"; got an idea   
about using Tsunami's sister Goddess Tokimi.  
  
  
C&C to: bjhaberman@prodigy.net  
Find the latest of my fics at: http://Trooper1023.tripod.com/ 


End file.
